Waking Heart
by BadKitty17
Summary: When Antonio transfers to Hetalia Academy, his life is changed by a boy named Arthur Kirkland...SpUK, rated T for later chapters (Human AU).
1. Chapter 1

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

"Yeah, yeah, I got here nice and safe."

"Dad, I told you I'm just fine!"

"Ok, talk to you later. Bye."

Antonio sighed and hung up, before he let himself flop onto his new bed. He was already exhausted from the long few days he'd had, and a last minute call from his father, anxious to know if he was alright didn't exactly help.

He let his mind wander back to how he'd got to this small, neat room that'd serve as his accommodation for the year. Hetalia Academy was one of the most prestigious schools around, well known all across the globe for only giving the most intelligent, talented and promising kids the chance to attend. So when the headmaster had visited Antonio's school in Malaga and offered him the chance to come to the academy, he'd found himself flying out to London, completely ecstatic over being given the opportunity of a lifetime, in spite of having to leave everything he ever knew behind. He sincerely hoped that getting a great education would be worth leaving home for.

Antonio absentmindedly got up and wandered to the other side of the room, opening the wardrobe and studying his new uniform carefully, making sure it was completely free of any imperfections; something as small as a speck of dust here, or a crease there would surely tarnish his reputation at this school, where the best was expected of everyone.

Once he was certain that his uniform looked ok, he dug his timetable out and scanned it again, making sure he knew for certain what classes he had and where. Though he'd paid close attention during his orientation yesterday, he still wasn't quite sure he knew his way around the place…But he had to at least know what he was looking for if he got lost. Speaking of orientation, he'd managed to make friends with some of the kids he was going to be in class with. There was Monan, a cheery girl from Belgium, Lovino, a rather…interesting boy from the south of Italy, and lastly, Arthur, an English boy who was ever such a looker, but seemed kind of hot-headed.

As he put the timetable back in his bag, he sighed happily, getting rather excited for his first day at the academy...

 **Well, I'm back now, and since I've been getting requests to do a long SpUK fic, I thought I'd give it a go! I hope you liked this first chapter, and I'll try and post the next one soon! Bye~**

 **Kitty x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me. (A.N: 'Chippy' is what we call a fish and chips shop in the U.K)**

 _Let's see…English is first today,_ Antonio thought to himself as he walked through the crowd of students making their way to their respective lessons. The morning had been largely uneventful so far, save for Antonio being pushed around a bit as he ran through a chaotic stampede that'd formed as him and the other boys hurried out of their dorm rooms.

When he finally reached the room he was looking for, he felt his heart flutter slightly, and he became light-headed for just a moment, but he put that down to nerves and the fact he'd just had to climb a huge flight of stairs to reach the lesson.

Loud chatter and the scuffling of feet on the ground could be heard as everyone made their way into the classroom and hurried to take seats. Antonio, meanwhile was rather unsure of where he should sit, everyone seemed so sure of who they wanted to—

"Hey, Antonio! Over here! Come sit with us!"

Antonio turned his attention to the back of the class, to find his new friend, Monan waving enthusiastically, the blonde hair that hung free of her red hairband bobbing around.

"Hey Monan!" he called back, making his way over to her table. He was happy to find his other friends, Lovino and Arthur sat there too.

"Thanks for saving me a seat," he beamed, taking the one chair that was unoccupied; the one between Arthur and Lovino.

"Are you nervous about today?" he asked his friends.

"A little. I mean, I'm happy to be here, but it is scary being alone in a foreign country where I don't really know anyone," Monan admitted, laughing nervously.

"You know us," Arthur added.

"Yeah, but we only became friends yesterday! For all I know, you could all be complete idiots who I'll get annoyed with and abandon at the end of the week!" Lovino chipped in sharply.

Antonio smiled warmly at his friends' antics. "But let's all stay together for now, ok?" he said cheerily.

"Agreed," Arthur replied.

Just then, the chatter from the other students died down, and the friends turned to face the front of the room, ready for the lesson to begin.

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After the school day had ended, Antonio and his friends wandered aimlessly around for a bit, unsure of what they should do with their free time.

"Maybe we could go out somewhere!" Monan suggested.

"There's a chippy down the road. We could go there and get dinner," Arthur pitched in.

"That sounds like fun," Antonio piped up, "What do you think, Lovino?"

"Sure. We can do that," the boy said casually.

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The friends made their way to the chippy and placed their orders, but as they went to pay, Antonio realised he'd left something behind…

"I'm so sorry, guys, looks like I forgot my wallet!" Antonio apologised embarrassedly.

"No cash, no food," the cashier said coolly.

"I'll pay for him," Arthur told the cashier.

"Oh, you don't have to do that for me," Antonio piped up, feeling even more embarrassed now.

"No, it's fine," Arthur told him, handing over the money.

The group sat outside the chippy and opened the parcels containing their meals, eagerly biting into the crispy batter-encased cod.

"Wow! This is really good!" Monan exclaimed in delight, going in for a second bite.

Antonio swallowed his mouthful and turned to Arthur. "Thanks for helping me out back there. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as we"—

"You don't need to. Consider it my treat," Arthur told him happily.

"Really? Thanks so much!" Antonio replied gratefully, a huge smile forming on his face.

"Ooh, aren't you a gentleman, Arthur?" Monan teased. "Maybe we should have forgotten our money too, eh, Lovino?"

"It would have saved us ten bucks," Lovino complained. "But this is good food, so…I guess it's sorta worth the money…"

Antonio giggled joyfully to himself just there and then. His new life was going to be wonderful, if he could spend it with these people every day…

 **Here's chapter two! I know what you're all thinking, 'Why is this called Waking Heart, Kitty? It has nothing to do with hearts!' Well, you'll understand why later. 'Till next chapter!**

 **-Kitty x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

It should have just been another day at Hetalia Academy.

Should have been.

But that morning, Antonio felt his heart flutter again, the same way it did on his first day. And this time, he couldn't pass the fluttering off as nervousness. But still, he, not wanting to worry his friends, went to class, even though he was in no condition for the first subject of the day; P.E.

On the way to the boys' changing rooms, Arthur and Lovino happened to pick up on his condition, though.

"Are you OK?" Arthur asked him, placing a hand on Antonio's shoulder.

"I'm just fine. You don't need to worry about me," he assured, though he smiled gratefully for his friend's concern.

"You better be ok. I don't want you dying on the football pitch or something dumb like that," Lovino added, pouting.

Once the boys were out onto the field, Antonio was feeling a tiny bit better, his heart had calmed down a bit, and he smiled and waited eagerly for the lesson to begin.

The loud screech of a whistle was heard a moment later, silencing the chatter of the class.

"Alright everyone, today we'll start off with a quick game of football. Ludwig and Arthur, you'll be team captains, we need five more of you on each team!" the teacher commanded.

Most of the class hurried over to Ludwig, a huge, muscle-bound blonde boy, all clamouring to be selected for his team.

"Three of us against all of them?" Arthur, Lovino and Antonio chimed in unison.

"I told you, I have enough players on my side," Ludwig told the students he hadn't selected for his team.

The students grumbled as the teacher shooed them over to Arthur's side of the pitch. The whistle was blown again a moment, later, announcing the start of the game.

"Lovino! Over here!" Arthur commanded, kicking the ball to him.

"Antonio! Heads up!" Lovino shouted, passing to Antonio.

Antonio was really starting to enjoy himself now, as he ran about the pitch with his classmates. Too bad his heart insisted on spoiling the fun.

Antonio stopped in his tracks suddenly, his heart thumping fiercely in his chest. He attempted to stagger over to the other side of the pitch, but he was getting breathless and dizzy…And now even standing upright was becoming a problem for him.

The last thing he saw before his legs buckled and he passed out was Arthur running over to him, screaming his name, as the class crowded round him and cried, "Someone call 999!"…

 **(A.N: 999 is the emergency number in England)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

 _Sterile._

If one had to describe the room Antonio had woken in a single word, they would've picked that. The strong smell of disinfectant and the ever-ominous beeping of a life-support machine told Antonio where he was. Yes, hospitals were places Antonio was all too familiar with, given his condition. Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome at a young age, Antonio had been in and out of the wretched places his entire life.

He slowly opened his eyes, groaning as he became adjusted to the brightness of the room, alerting his friends, who'd all been talking amongst themselves at his bedside.

"Hey…" he mumbled weakly, stirring just a little.

Monan was the first to speak. "Arthur texted me after first period and told me you'd fainted! Are you ok?"

"Of course he isn't, stupid!" Lovino snapped. "If he was ok, he wouldn't have been rushed to hospital, would he?!"

"You know what she means, Lovino," Arthur added. "How are you feeling, Antonio?"

"Been better," the boy chuckled in reply.

A nurse entered the room a moment later, a stony expression in her glasses-adorned eyes.

"You gave your friends quite a scare, young man," she said coolly.

Monan turned to face her. "Did you find out what's wrong with him yet?"

"It seems that he had a rather serious episode of his Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome," the nurse explained.

"Which means?" Lovino enquired.

"His heart was beating too quickly," she answered.

"Antonio…" Arthur whispered softly in concern.

"We've tried contacting your parents, but nobody picked up the phone," the nurse told Antonio, "Anyway, you should be able to go back to school soon, given that you're stable, but we'll need to keep you for a little while, so we can be certain that you're alright."

"Ok," Antonio replied affirmatively, relaxing a little. Truth be told, he was relieved no-one was available at home. His dad would totally freak out if he knew what had happened!

Lovino glanced up at the clock, noticing that it'd gotten quite late. "Guys, shouldn't we go soon? We have school tomorrow," he asked the others.

"Yeah, you're right," Monan agreed. "Promise we'll come visit you every day until you're better, Antonio," she added. "Coming, Arthur?"

"No, I'm going to stay a bit longer," Arthur told them. "If that's ok with you, Antonio?"

"I don't mind," Antonio said warmly, and Arthur gently sat himself on the bed.

Satisfied that her patient was taken care of, the nurse exited the room, her twin-tails swishing softly as she turned to leave.

B-B-BBB-BB-B—B-B-B-BBB-B-B-B-B-B-B-BB-B—B-B-B-B—B-B-B-B—B-B-B—B—B-B—

"Why didn't you tell us about…your illness?" Arthur asked him.

Antonio ashamedly turned his head up to face him. "I didn't think you needed to know," he parried, "It's not like I get this bad all the time!"

"Well, perhaps I—I mean we, did need to know," Arthur remarked, "You had Lovino and I terrified when you collapsed this morning, minutes after you insisted you were fine!"

Antonio had no ideas on how to respond to that. After all, he only wanted to keep his friends from worrying about him.

Arthur's face fell, and he shuffled slightly closer to Antonio. "Look, if I'm going to be your friend, I need to know as much as I can about you so I can help you when things like this happen," Arthur said softly, placing an innocent hand on Antonio's shoulder.

"I'm sorry I worried you," Antonio replied, green eyes falling slightly.

Arthur gently removed his hand from Antonio's shoulder and gave him a gentle embrace. "Tell me whenever something's wrong, and I promise I'll try to make it right for you," Arthur began, "That's what friends are for, right?" he added.

Antonio relaxed into the embrace as it tightened to a hug. "Right," he agreed.

The two fell asleep like that a little while later, in the cradle of each other's arms.

The detention Arthur got for being late to class the next day was totally worth it!

 **How's about some cuteness to end that chapter? You may be wondering why I'm taking so long to get Arthur and Antonio together, and the reason for that is, I want to develop their romance realistically, rather than it being a true-love-at-first-sight deal. Also, cookie for the first person to guess who the nurse is! See you next chapter!**

 **Kitty x**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

A week later, Antonio had fully recovered and was back to school. Though he'd enjoyed the time off, and visits from Arthur, Manon and Lovino, (Though Arthur made a habit of staying far longer than the latter two), he was just glad he could get back to pretending he had a normal life. His condition wouldn't allow that, but he was determined to enjoy his school days.

Antonio waved to his friends as he entered the huge, industrial-quality kitchen that was his cooking classroom.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright today?" Arthur enquired, as he joined them behind the work bench.

Antonio snorted mildly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Really, this time!"

"So what are we making today?" Lovino enquired.

The teacher quickly silenced the pupils, as he pulled up a presentation, displaying the recipe for today.

"Today, we'll be making scones!" The teacher announced. "Now, the thing that makes all the difference is how high you raise your hands above the bowl, and what flour you use, and…"

He launched off into a long tangent, rambling on about the history of scones and baking, as the class rolled their eyes in unison.

"Sir? Can we start the lesson now?" a dark-skinned girl piped up a little while later, interrupting him.

The teacher suddenly snapped back to reality, and glanced at the clock. "Oh, good heavens, look at the time! Yes, Michelle, everyone come and get your ingredients, and we'll begin baking!" he exclaimed.

"Finally!" Lovino huffed, grabbing a bag of flour.

"I hope that doesn't happen every lesson," Arthur added, slipping off his blazer and rolling his sleeves up.

"Right, what's the first step?" Antonio mumbled to himself, looking at the presentation.

"Gotta put the oven on before we start!" Manon decided, snapping her fingers.

The four of them pottered around their workstation as they baked, all of them doing fairly well, except Arthur…

"Shouldn't you measure that first?" Antonio enquired, as Arthur poured a ridiculous amount of milk into his bowl.

"I've been making scones all my life! I know what I'm doing," Arthur assured him, as he began mixing, sending lumpy, wet dough flying all over the worktop.

The rest of the class went by without any problems, except when everyone else got their scones out, but Arthur insisted that his needed a bit longer in the oven. And it was no surprise when burning could be smelt a few minutes later…

"Arthur? You should probably check on those scones now," Manon suggested.

"Oh, I'm sure they're fine," Arthur assured her, but he opened the oven anyway.

A huge cloud of smoke escaped the oven as he took his tray out, sending him as well as Lovino, Antonio and Manon into a violent coughing fit.

"Mr Kirkland, you really ought to have followed the recipe," the teacher sighed as the smoke disappeared.

Arthur looked rather embarrassed as he surveyed what everyone else had made. Several trays of warm, fresh scones, lined the worktops, well-risen and golden, meanwhile Arthur's tray was covered with burnt-black rounds.

"Never mind! I'm sure they'll be ok if I just cut the tops off," he said defensively.

Lovino shook his head. "There's no way you can eat those, idiot! You'll get sick like Antonio was last week!"

"How about we share ours with you instead?" Antonio suggested.

"OK then," Arthur agreed. "We'll meet in my room after school!"

B—B—BB-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B—BB—B—BB-B-BB-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B—B-B—BB-B—B

"Arthur! We're here!" Manon called as the three knocked the door of Arthur's dorm room.

Arthur opened up a moment later, having changed out of his school uniform. "Come on in," he invited, and the four sat themselves on the floor in Arthur's room.

"Would you like some tea?" Arthur offered, setting out some teacups.

"That'd be great," Manon accepted, and he poured her and everyone else a cup.

"Let's give these a try," Lovino piped up, handing everyone a scone. Everyone but Arthur bit eagerly into them, but quickly made disapproving faces.

"Did we do something wrong? These don't taste very nice," Manon complained.

Arthur shook his head. "You're not supposed to eat them plain! Here, try them like this," and he took everyone's scones, cutting them in half and spreading them with some cream and jam he'd laid out.

The other three tried their scones again, this time agreeing that they were delicious.

"You seem far better at eating them than making them, Arthur!" Antonio teased, nudging him gently.

"Yeah, guess you're right," Arthur added, blushing a little as he looked at the boy. _Antonio's so cute when he's happy,_ he thought to himself, as Antonio broke into a giggle, a sunny smile gracing his face.

"Something up, Arthur?" Lovino asked, as he noticed Arthur staring at Antonio.

Arthur's face reddened a bit more. "N-nothing! Nothing at all!" he babbled, turning back to his other friends.

"If you say so~" Manon teased, shoving him playfully.

"Uh, Antonio? There's something on your nose," Lovino alerted him.

Antonio's giggling stopped, and his face flushed when he realised that he had a large dab of cream on the tip of his nose.

"I'll get that," Arthur piped up, wiping it off with his thumb.

"Th-thanks," Antonio said gratefully, his face maintaining its colour.

"Get a room, you two!" Manon snickered.

"It's not like that!" the two boys cried in unison.

"Pfft. Yeah, right!" Lovino added.

The friends continued their little gathering long into the night, Arthur re-considering how he felt towards Antonio all the while…

 **Chapter 5! Now, I've just realised I've been spelling Belgium's name wrong, so I've corrected that in this chapter. And if you guessed that the nurse in the previous chapter was Nyo England, you were right! Cookie goes to Natsume-Erika for that one! See you next chapter~**

 **Kitty x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

"Geez, I can't believe it's almost time for the holidays already!" Manon sighed.

"Yeah, first term's gone by pretty quickly, hasn't it?" Antonio added. "I take it everyone's going home for the holidays?"

"Mhm. I'll be going to stay with my grandpa, in Italy," Lovino told them.

"And it's back to Spain for me," said Antonio.

"But before we all go our separate ways, we have the school dance coming up," Arthur announced, "Are you going?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun, won't it, Lovino?" Monan asked her friend.

"Sure it will," Lovino answered casually.

"What about you, Antonio?" Monan enquired.

"I'm not sure," the boy replied.

"Oh, yeah, your illness," Monan sighed apologetically. "Are you afraid that dancing will make you have another…attack?"

"I just don't know if I really want to," Antonio rebutted.

"Hope to see you there though," Arthur admitted, earning a small blush from Antonio.

B-B-B-B-BBB-B-B-BB—B-B—B-B—B-BB-B—B-B—B-B—B-B—B-BB-B—B-B—B-B—BB

Later that day, Antonio was finishing up his homework, when he got a text from Arthur.

 _Will you meet me at the chippy in five? I want to talk to you about something._

 _On my way,_ Antonio texted back, eager to see his friend.

"Why don't you let me treat _you_ today?" Antonio offered when he arrived, to Arthur's delight.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" he asked, parking himself on a bench.

Arthur shifted nervously about, before he responded, "About the dance…Maybe you and I could go together?" he asked, "Y'know, as friends." He added quickly.

Antonio turned up to face him. "Like I said, I really don't know if I want to," he replied.

Arthur gently cupped his chin. "I really want you to come, though. You don't even have to dance with me, if you don't want…It'd just be nice if we could go together."

Antonio blushed heavily and felt his heart speed up tenfold. _Shit, am I having another episode?_ "Sure…that sounds nice," he replied nervously.

"Can't wait to see you there," Arthur told him,

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Antonio found himself fussing about with his appearance a lot before he left for the dance. He just wanted to look his best for the event, right? Yeah, that was it. This was a big, fancy ball in a prestigious school, that's why he wanted to look so good…

"You ready?" Arthur asked, from outside the dorm room, dragging Antonio out of his thoughts.

"Y-yeah. Coming!" Antonio called, composing himself and opening the door.

Arthur let out a soft gasp, when he saw his friend, all dressed up. Antonio's brown curls were neatly brushed and styled, and the warm smile spread on his face matched the ever-sun-kissed colour of his skin, in stark contrast to the crisp white dress shirt he had on.

"Shall we go then?" Antonio asked, snapping Arthur out of his stupor.

"Y-yeah, let's get down there," he said quickly.

B-B-B-B-B-B-B—B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BB-B-BB—B-B-B-B—B—B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-

The ballroom was absolutely enormous, illuminated by a large, glass chandelier. Strips of starry sky lined the windows, and the sound of an orchestra could be heard resonating on the dance floor, drowning out the scuffle of feet and the sound of the swish of fabric, as the girls wearing longer dresses waltzed around the room.

"Shall we dance?" Antonio offered, thinking that it looked rather fun.

"Yeah, we could do that," Arthur mumbled nervously, letting Antonio wrap his arms around him.

The two ever so slowly began their waltz, apologising over and over again as they stepped on each other's toes and tripped, a few times landing in compromising positions. But regardless, they laughed it off each time, and just got back up, continuing their awkward dance. This went on for several hours, but it felt like mere minutes to the two, and soon enough, everyone but them had left.

"You know, Arthur, I'm really glad I came tonight," Antonio admitted, shifting his hand closer to Arthur's, "I had fun."

"I did too." Arthur told him gently in reply. "I'm glad you came." And he too, shifted his hand closer to Antonio's.

With that, their hands slowly knotted, and Arthur gently pulled Antonio closer, sliding his other arm around his waist. Antonio did the same, gently gripping Arthur's hip with his long fingers. And in the next moment, their lips connected, forming an innocent, magical kiss. Antonio's heart pounded yet again, but he was happy, knowing that today, it wasn't because he was ill. But because he was loved.

The memory of that magical night kept Antonio smiling all the way back to Malaga…He couldn't wait for term to begin again…

 **Finally, I give you some actual romance! Thank you for being patient with this story, it means a lot, and I truly appreciate all the reviews, follows and favourites so far. I'll be kicking up the drama in the next few chapters, so stay tuned!**

 **Kitty x**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

"Surgery?"

"Yes, we've found someone near your school who will operate on you. If the procedure goes well, it should permanently correct your Wolff-Parkinson-White's."

"Looks like I'll be taking a little trip to England, then, lad."

Antonio wasn't in the best of moods when school started again. Over the holidays, he'd been hospitalised twice with episodes of supraventricular fibrillation. It was decided that he'd undergo a risky operation to try and correct his condition, and he was extremely nervous at the prospect of heart surgery.

On top of that, he'd come to realise that he'd fallen for Arthur. Yes, since the two had kissed at the end of term ball, he'd found himself turning to goo whenever he thought of the boy, longing desperately for more moments like that with him. But what if that kiss was just a moment of passion, or a fluke? He didn't want to run the risk of ruining their friendship over that moment, regardless of how much it'd meant to him…

"Mr Fernandez-Carriedo, are you going to tell me the solution to the equation, or are you going to sit there and daydream all lesson?!" the teacher snapped.

Antonio shook his head and broke out of his daze. "I-I'm, sorry, miss," he babbled defensively.

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Pushing aside his worries, Antonio met with his friends at break time, attempting to distract himself by making idle conversation. Just insignificant little things like "Did you have fun during the holidays?" "Man, maths was boring!", and "That teacher is so mean!" kept him from thinking about his own problems, even if just for a little bit.

But though he kept his feelings well-hidden from Manon and Lovino, Arthur must've worked out that something was wrong again, because when the day ended, Antonio received another text from him.

 _What's wrong? You seemed rly distracted 2day._

 _It's nothing, I swear,_ he hurried to text back.

 _No, something's up, I can tell. Meet me on the roof in 5, and tell me what's bothering you._

Antonio sighed as he texted back, _K._ It was as if Arthur had seen right through him, into the growing flood of fears and nightmares that he didn't want to trouble anyone else with. Yet he couldn't hide them from the one he…loved anymore, and though he hated to admit it, he was relieved that he could at least vent to Arthur.

He blushed heavily as he sat down next to Arthur, shivering a little. The thin blazer he had on did little to protect him from the icy wind swirling around him.

"Here," Arthur offered, taking off his own blazer and wrapping it around Antonio's shoulders. "Is that warmer?"

"Yeah. Thanks," he mumbled nervously.

"So go ahead, tell me what's wrong," Arthur commanded, shifting ever-so-slightly closer to his friend.

Antonio inhaled deeply and composed himself. He decided he wouldn't bring up the kiss for now, as he had much greater worries than wondering if Arthur liked him…the way he did. "It's my heart again. I had a few more episodes when I was back in Spain…my medication's not helping, and now they're going to operate on me."

"You're nervous about the procedure, I take it?" Arthur enquired. _What a stupid question, of course he is!_ He thought immediately after. _They're only going to cut him up and poke at his heart!_

"Yes. Though they said the procedure should fix my heart, there's all sorts of things that could go wrong," Antonio admitted, voice breaking softly. "I'm scared, Arthur. I want to be able to live a normal life, but they said there's a chance it might not work, or that I could suffer all sorts of side effects. Or maybe even die!"

"I'm sure you'll be alright," Arthur replied gently, putting his arm around him. "If they really thought you wouldn't survive, they wouldn't be operating on you, would they?"

"I suppose not," Antonio conceded, carefully resting his head on his shoulder. It was such a small gesture, but it felt so good…

"Look, regardless of what happens, I'll be there to support you, so try not to worry as much, ok?" Arthur added, before performing a gesture that made Antonio's chilled body burn. He kissed him gently on the forehead, and Antonio shut his eyes tight, wishing for time to stop so he could savour that moment.

"Thank you…for being here for me," Antonio sighed, letting himself melt into Arthur's touch.

"Hey, I can't just leave you alone when you're all stressed out," Arthur told him, gently sliding his arm down to Antonio's waist.

A few minutes later, Antonio fell asleep, still resting in Arthur's arms. Arthur simply smiled at how adorable Antonio was, all curled up next to him. He carried him gently to his dorm, taking care not to wake him.

"I'll be there for you, no matter what," Arthur told the sleeping boy, planting another kiss on his cheek.

 **Well, here's some of the drama I told you was coming. But wait! There's more! There will be more adorableness in the next few chapters, so stay tuned, SpUK fans!**

 **Kitty x**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

After not one, but two kisses, Arthur knew that he couldn't hold back the warm, bittersweet sensation that stirred in his chest whenever Antonio so much as crossed his mind.

Or the overwhelming sense of fear and dread that'd popped up ever since Antonio had told him about his upcoming surgery. Rationally, he knew that Antonio would probably be fine, and he was freaking out over nothing, but what if Antonio's fears came true? What if, God forbid, Antonio died?

That was when Arthur knew he couldn't wait to tell him how he felt any longer. He was sure that Antonio liked him too, if he didn't, he wouldn't have allowed those kisses, would he? One week remained until Antonio was due to undergo his procedure, and regardless of whether or not he returned his feelings, Arthur was determined to make it the best week of Antonio's life.

All because of the tiny possibility that it might be his last.

And just like that, Arthur got out of his dorm and marched down the hallway to Antonio's. He didn't even stop to think about how he was going to confess, all he knew was that he had to do it, now. Sighing deeply, he knocked on the door and prepared to pour his heart out...

"N-need something, Arthur?" Antonio enquired, when he opened the door to his grim-looking friend.

"I love you," Arthur deadpanned, completely lost as to how else he should reveal his feelings.

Antonio simply stared quizzically at his friend, unsure as to whether or not he should take what Arthur had just said seriously, even if his cheeks were flushing, and a tiny spark of happiness was threatening to set him ablaze at the thought of Arthur's words being sincere. "What?"

Arthur took Antonio's hand, psyching himself up for perhaps the sappiest thing he would ever say. "Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, I'm in love with you. I was wondering if you felt the same way," he told him.

"You're serious?" Antonio asked him, carefully treading around the second confession. "You really love me?"

"Yes, and I'll keep on saying it until you understand that I really mean it!" Arthur stressed. "I love you, I love you, I love"—

"Ok, I get it!" Antonio chuckled. "And I love you too!"

Arthur couldn't help but smile at Antonio's adorable blushing face and endearing laughter. Or at the fact that the sweetest boy in the world was finally his...Even if it might not be for very long...

"I think this is the part where you're supposed to kiss me," Antonio invited playfully.

No response was needed from Arthur, but he still whispered, "You didn't need to remind me," as he locked lips with Antonio, gently pressing a hand to one of his olive cheeks...

 **Well, ladies, gentlemen and non-binaries, here's chapter eight, improved! I hope you will like the new last few chapters and ending, (It will still be happy, I promise!).**

' **Till next chapter!**

 **Kitty x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

Arthur did his best to explain Antonio's situation to Manon and Lovino, though he didn't dare spill the fears Antonio had trusted him with onto them. Nor did he bother telling his friends that he and Antonio were now a couple, that could wait until he had Antonio there with him, since, for some reason or another, he hadn't come to class that morning, and he hadn't answered his phone when Arthur called to ask if he was ok...

"I hope he'll be ok," was Lovino's reaction to the news. Blunt, yet his concern for his friend could still be felt.

"He'll be fine," Manon assured him, "Once Antonio has the operation, he won't have trouble with his heart anymore, right?"

Lovino simply went, 'mm' in agreement and nodded, with that ridiculous curl of his bouncing along with the short, sharp movement of his head. Meanwhile Arthur sincerely hoped that Manon would be right...

"So will he be going back to Spain for it?" Manon questioned, turning her attention from Lovino to Arthur.

"I don't know," Arthur informed her, just as a new fear hit him. If Antonio went back to Spain for his surgery, he would have his family there to care for him, but that would mean that Arthur wouldn't be able to be there, in person for his boyfriend...

 _Bzzt!_

Arthur's phone vibrated violently in his pocket, announcing the arrival of an urgent message. He picked the thing up and looked at the screen, his face losing the little colour it had when he saw the message.

 _Arthur? My chest feels like it's on fire_

The message was quickly replaced by three new ones, both coming in with the same violent vibration as before.

 _I'm scared_

 _Please..._

 _HELP ME!_

Arthur barely noticed the school bell ringing, letting everyone know that it was time for the first lesson as he sped in the opposite direction of the main building, back to the boys' dorms, or the cries of "Hey! Where are you going?!" from Manon and Lovino. _Fuck going to class,_ he thought. Antonio needed his attention way more than school did right now...

Arthur burst into Antonio's dorm room quickly, finding his boyfriend balled up beneath the covers. He was shaking violently and gasping for air, his face contorted in agony and terror.

"You're going to be alright, love," Arthur soothed, gently placing his hand on his forehead. "I'm here now, and I promise I won't leave your side."

Antonio appeared to calm down a little upon hearing his voice, and forced his eyes open. "T-thanks," he gasped, coughing and spluttering heavily just from getting that word out.

Arthur shook his head and placed his finger to Antonio's lips. "Don't say anything. You need to conserve your strength," he told him sternly, proceeding to pick up his phone and call for help.

Once the wail of an ambulance could be heard outside, Arthur gently picked Antonio up and ran him down the several flights of stairs leading to the exit, handing him over to men dressed in huge, fluorescent coats.

"I'm going with him," Arthur insisted, when one of the paramedics gave the order to transport Antonio out.

Said paramedic turned to Arthur and gave him a scornful look. "And what relation are you to him?" he enquired, his face screwed up in disgust. "We usually don't allow friends to go with the patient."

"I'm his boyfriend," Arthur retorted.

The paramedic glared back at him, as though he were the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen. "What you two are doing is"-

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Arthur bellowed, "Can't I deal with your homophobic bullshit AFTER you get Antonio the help he needs?!"

The paramedic too no notice of his rant. "We're going," he told his co-workers, as he stepped into the ambulance and closed the doors.

Arthur shook with anger as he followed the vehicle from the pavement, unable to believe the bigotry he'd just witnessed. _I'm coming, Antonio, just hang on until I get there,_ he promised, running at full-speed to the hospital...


	10. Chapter 10

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

 _Antonio._

He was the only thing that was on Arthur's mind as he dashed through the sterile labyrinth of the hospital, ignoring the overpowering smell of disinfectant, and the annoyed cries of staff as he zoomed past them. It wasn't like they understood that he had to get to his love's side, and fast.

When Arthur at last found his Antonio, he was ready to run inside the room and hug him, and tell him that everything was going to be ok, but he was prevented by the sight of two people, one of them a doctor with a grim look in his chestnut eyes, the other an aging Spaniard, with dark green eyes and a head of wiry black curls, standing near Antonio's bedside. The latter of the two looked a bit like an older version of Antonio.

Arthur stood outside the room, away from their view, waiting impatiently outside for his turn to talk to the boy he loved. He managed to catch a little of what the two men were saying, and it didn't sound good at all...

"I've never seen a case of Wolff-Parkinson-White's this severe before. Poor kid."

"That's what his cardiologist said too."

"We'll have to be extra careful when we're operating."

The rest of what they said was inaudible, but just as before, it sounded grim.

A few minutes later, the door opened, startling Arthur and forcing him to move from his hiding spot. The doctor left quietly, without a single word, which Arthur took as his opportunity to go in and see his dear Antonio, aware that he'd have to be careful with him, partly due to his delicate condition, and also because the aging Spaniard was still in there. But he couldn't resist bolting to his bedside, gently snaking an arm around Antonio as he whispered, "I'm here now, babe."

"Arthur!" Antonio rasped happily, becoming more alert upon feeling Arthur's touch. "You made it!"

Arthur planted a soft kiss on his cheek, running his free hand through Antonio's chaotic brown locks. "I told you I'd be there for you, didn't I? Even if that asshole paramedic didn't want me to be," he said, his tone turning sour as he thought of this morning's incident.

The aging Spaniard in the room coughed discreetly, reminding them of his presence.

"Is this the Arthur kid you've been telling me so much about, Antonio?" he enquired, his green eyes unblinking.

Antonio turned to face him, a tiny bit of colour coming to his cheeks. "Y-yeah. Dad, Arthur's my..." he began embarrassedly.

"We're dating," Arthur finished for him, switching his focus to Antonio's dad.

The man gave a tired smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Arthur, even though it's a shame we had to meet like this. I hope you've been treating my boy well," he greeted, with the age-old worry that came from parents when their children found romantic partners.

"He has," Antonio chipped in, "If it weren't for him coming to check on me this morning...I probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"I really care for Antonio, and all I honestly want is to make him happy!" Arthur added nervously, unsure of how to handle this situation.

"Impressive," The man began dryly, "I think I'm starting to get why you like him so much, Toni. But you'll have to do a little more for my boy if you want to win me over, Arthur," he chuckled.

"How about I start with taking care of Antonio while he recovers from his surgery?" Arthur offered, tightening his grip around his boyfriend.

Antonio's dad's smile became wider as accepted the offer. "Then be ready for tomorrow, Arthur," he told him.

"What do you"—Arthur began, before he was interrupted by Antonio.

"They've decided to move the procedure to tomorrow morning, because of how extreme my case is," he explained. "They say the sooner they do it, the better the chance I have of making it."

"You're going to make it," Arthur insisted, "You can't die now!"


	11. Chapter 11

The seconds ticked by painfully slowly as Arthur and Antonio's dad waited for their loved one, the two of them sat in silence in the noisy waiting room. Neither of them felt like watching the shitty sitcom that was blaring from the TV, or flipping through the stack of old magazines on the table, both were such ridiculous, ineffective distractions from the worries about Antonio that were nibbling relentlessly on their brains.

It didn't seem appropriate for either of them to make small talk. Not that there would be much for them to discuss, since they'd only met yesterday.

The squeak of automatic doors caught the two's attention as a nurse walked into the room. A spark of hope lit in the twos' chests, as they wondered if she was coming to tell them what they wanted to hear; that Antonio would be ok.

But instead she walked over to a short blonde boy, with a stony gaze in his eyes, protectively holding a quietly crying little girl curled up next to him. What she told them was inaudible from where Arthur and Antonio's dad were sitting, but it made the girl break into enormous sobs, which quickly became muffled as she buried her face in the boy's chest. 'Gilbert' and 'dead' were screamed by her every now and again.

And the fear that he and Antonio's dad would receive the same news grew in Arthur's mind, consuming him at a rapid rate. He needed something, anything to keep himself sane...

"So...How about Antonio's mum?" he stupidly asked Antonio's dad, unsure of what else to say. Truth be told, he was a little curious as to why she wasn't here for Antonio at a time when he'd surely need her...

The aging man turned to face Arthur, a grim expression on his face as he quietly responded, "Lost her two years ago. Heart disease."

"I'm sorry," seemed like the only fitting thing Arthur could say.

"Having my wife taken from me because of her heart was difficult enough. But the thought of losing Antonio, my son, who's all I have left to remember my Elena by? Terrifies me so much I can barely stand it," he explained solemnly, his expression unchanging.

Arthur's eyes met Antonio's dad's as they silently shared each other's pain and fear; one of them afraid of losing the only family he had left, the other afraid of not being able to share his love with Antonio ever again.

Neither of them paid any attention as a new nurse came into the room, until he made his way over to the pair and called their names.

"Arthur Kirkland, and Santiago Fernandez-Carriedo, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that's us," Antonio's dad told him.

"Antonio's procedure was a complete success. He'll be awake very soon," he informed them bluntly.

The short, sharp delivery of the news instantly relieved the two of everything they'd been worrying about, and ridiculous smiles spread on their faces as they processed the fact that Antonio was alive and well.

"Can we see him?" Arthur enquired, regaining his composure quickly.

The nurse nodded and motioned for them to follow him, leading them to Antonio quickly, before leaving, presumably to attend to other matters.

"Arthur, please wait outside for just a minute. I'd like to talk to my son in private," Santiago told Arthur, to which he obediently agreed.

Arthur waited his turn outside the room, not bothering to pay attention to anything he could hear in there, he was a gentleman, dammit, and it would've been rude to listen in on their conversation.

It seemed like forever until Santiago finally emerged from the room.

"He's all yours, Arthur. Antonio's very eager to see you," he said happily, "You'll take good care of my boy, won't you?"

"Of course I will!" Arthur chirped, dashing inside to see his boyfriend.

Antonio smiled weakly, still groggy from the anaesthesia as Arthur came to him, entangling his fingers in the soft curls adorning his head.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Arthur whispered, being careful to avoid touching the multiple wires and tubes plugged into his boyfriend's veins. Surrounded by various beeping and humming machines, lying beneath a thin sheet, and with the wonderful olive tint of his skin replaced by a sickly pale, Antonio looked like...the most beautiful thing Arthur had ever laid eyes on.

"I love you, Arthur," Antonio rasped, using what remained of his strength to get the words out, "Really, I do."

"I know, precious," Arthur replied, "And I love you too."

With that, Antonio simply lay still, allowing Arthur to pepper his neck and face with tiny kisses, each of them reminding him just how loved he was...


	12. Epilogue

**Hetalia is owned by Hidekaz Himaruya, this fanfiction is owned by me.**

 **(Eight years later)**

"Aw, Toni, you make the most beautiful bride~" Manon chirped happily, upon seeing her friend's outfit.

"T-thanks," Antonio mumbled embarrassedly, fussing with the collar of his white shirt. He wasn't sure how he felt about being the bride on the day of his wedding, but when Arthur had proposed to him after eight wonderful years together, how could he have said no?

He checked himself over one last time in the mirror, hoping that he'd finally managed to make himself look perfect. He'd chosen a white, long sleeved shirt, and black trousers (There was NO way he was going to wear a dress!) for the occasion, as well as black patent shoes. A rather simple, but elegant ensemble.

"Yeah, he looks great. S-so do you, M-Manon," Lovino muttered, his face flushing scarlet as he went over the carmine bridesmaid's dress she had on.

Antonio raised an eyebrow at his friend, and gave a cheeky smile. "Oh? Does somebody like Manon?" he teased.

"W-what?! No way, she just looks pretty, that's all," Lovino insisted.

"Are you ready to go get married, Toni?" Manon enquired.

Antonio dismissed the small amount of nervous energy buzzing inside him as he told her, "Yeah!"

"No, you aren't ready quite yet, lad," Santiago added.

Antonio stopped in his tracks, and turned to face his father. "What, do you mean, Dad?"

Santiago took a small, velvet box out, opening it gingerly, and he motioned for Antonio to go and stand back by the mirror, before pinning a long, gold pendant around his neck, from which hung a tiny cross.

"My father gave this to me when I got married," he began, "And now I'm giving it to you."

Antonio suppressed a tear as he checked himself over once again. The tiny, glinting pendant around his neck added a whole other dimension of beauty to his outfit. He looked perfect, perfect for Arthur...

"It's beautiful," he sighed.

"Can we get him married now?" Manon teased.

"Of course we can," Santiago replied, and the four made their way to the church.

Arthur didn't dare look around the lavishly decorated church when he saw Antonio walk in, accompanied by his father and their friends. His only thoughts were of his beautiful soon-to-be husband.

"You're so perfect," he whispered to Antonio as he took his place opposite him, eagerly waiting for the wedding to begin.

Once the two had said their vows and shared their kiss, Arthur gently picked Antonio up, insisting on carrying him to the reception venue.

"Why do you feel the need to do this?" Antonio enquired, as he was being carried back down the aisle.

"It's the least I can do for my bride~" Arthur said smugly, kissing Antonio lightly on the cheek.

Antonio couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed at the whole 'being Arthur's bride' thing, but he let it slide, knowing that Arthur loved him, and would stay by his side forever...

 **And there's the end of Waking Heart, for real this time! I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to read, review, follow and favourite this once more!**

 **Kitty x**


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